Apparatus for bonding battery cover to battery container

ABSTRACT

On an upper table and a lower table arranged to rotate simultaneously about a center axis thereof, plural pairs of upper and lower presses are concentrically arranged and operated in accordance with a predetermined time sequence. The upper and lower presses have press heads for holding a battery cover and a battery container. Between one of the paired upper and lower press heads is disposed means for furnishing a bonding medium such as heat.

United States Tsuchida et al.

[111 3,873,400 [4 1 Mar. 25, 1975 APPARATUS FOR BONDING BATTERY COVER TOBATTERY CONTAINER [75] Inventors: Takashi Tsuchida, Kosai; MinoruTateno, Kawasaki; N0b uaki Fukuda, Kosai; Takashi Shimada, Toyohashi,all of Japan [73] Assignees: Fuji Electrochemical Co., Ltd., Shirnbashi,Tokyo; The Furukawa Battery Co., Ltd., Yokohama, both of Japan 221Filed: Mar. 18,1974

21 Appl. No.: 452,341

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 16, 1973 Japan 48-30698 {52]US. Cl 156/499, 118/230, 118/266. 136/176, 156/556, 156/578 [51} Int.CL. B23b 31/00, B65c 11/04, HOlm 35/18 [58] Field of Search 156/499,578,556; 136/175. 176; 118/266, 267, 230

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,324,523 7/1943 Lund136/176 3,627,617 12/1971 Schaumburg 136/176 3,686,056 8/1972 Fiandt136/176 3,778,314 12/1973 Kano et a1. 136/176 Primary Examiner DouglasJ. Drummond [57] ABSTRACT On an upper table and a lower table arrangedto rotate simultaneously about a center axis thereof, plural pairs ofupper and lower presses'a're concentrically arranged and operated inaccordance with a predetermined time sequence. The upper and lowerpresses have press heads for holding a battery cover and a batv terycontainer. Between one of the paired upper and lower press heads isdisposed means for furnishing a bonding medium such as heat.

5 Claims, 16 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHARZSIQIS FIG.|

FIG.4

I Pmimmm zsms SHEET 2 FIG.2

FIG.3

PATENTED MAR 2 5 I975 m Drive Roller Pusher35 T-l) Release Roller BrakMove Press m He in Down Drive Cra in PressUSg; 9

Move Press Suck Battery Cover(47)] |Move Press Head( UUp] Return Pre5S(-[Release Suc tion Battery Cover(47)] Move Press Head(l4c) Drive Arm(38)m Drive Arm(38)i Inward Time Actuator l riv Stopper 44? m ..Drlv

Move Press Head(l4d)UP}--[LV 5 HLS-S APPARATUS FOR BONDING BATTERY COVERTO BATTERY CONTAINER DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to anapparatus for automatically bonding a battery cover to a batterycontainer.

A battery cover and a battery container should be-reliably bonded toeach other so that electrolyte in the storage battery may not leak outof the battery container. Based on such a requirement, apparatus havebeen proposed for accomplishing secure bonding of the battery cover tothe container to prevent leakage of the electrolyte even when thebattery is shaken or joggled during transportation and use. However, ina known apparatus of the kind, the battery cover is bonded to thecontainer while they advance straightly, so that an elongated space isrequired for installation of the apparatus and that the bondingefficiency is not so good.

Accordingly, the principal object of the present invention is to providean apparatus for automatically bonding a battery cover to a batterycontainer in a relatively small circular space.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus ofthe type defined above, wherein the bonding operations can be performedat high efficiency.

According to the present invention, thereis provided an apparatus forbonding a cover member of a storage battery to a battery container,comprising:

an upper table and a lower table arranged to rotate simultaneously abouta center axis thereof;

a plurality of upper press means concentrically arranged on said uppertable with respective press heads projecting below said upper table,each of said press heads having means for retaining said battery cover;

a plurality of lower press means concentrically arranged on said lowertable with respective press heads projecting above said lower table toface with said press heads of said upper press means, each of said pressheads of said lower press means having means for setting the batterycontainer to a predetermined position;

means for operating both of said upper and lower press means inaccordance with a predetermined time sequence; and

means for furnishing a bonding medium to at least one of bonding facesof said battery cover and container, said furnishing means beingdisposed between one of the paired upper and lower press heads.

Preferably, the both of said upper and lower press means are operated byair sequence control system, in which compressed air is fed through theaxis of the upper and lower tables.

The aforementioned and additional objects and features of the presentinvention will become clearly apparent from the detailed description ofan embodiment thereof, which is to be read with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partially cut away, of an apparatusshowing a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the sequence of operation of theapparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 6a 6d are views showing the sequence of operation in the firstbattery cover bonding step;

FIGS. 7a 7c are views showing the sequence of operation in the secondarybattery cover bonding step;

FIG. 8 is a view showing the operation in the third battery coverbonding step; and

FIGS. 9a 9c are views showing the sequence of operation in the. fourthbattery cover bonding step.

Referring first to structural features of the present apparatus shown inFIGS. 1 to 4, an upper disk I and a lower, disk 2 are connected to eachother by a plurality of poles 3 extending between the disks 1 and 2 atcircumferences thereof. 'Through the center of the upper and lower disks1 and 2 vertically extended is a stationary shaft 4 erected on a base 5.The stationary shaft 4 also passes through a hollow shaft 6 and a rotarycylinder 8 secured to the upper disk 1. The hollow shaft 6 is rotatableabout the stationary shaft 4 by bearings 7, 7a and is secured at itsupper end with the lower disk 2 and at its lower end with a spur gear 9which in turn is engaged with a toothed gear 10 connected to a knownrotary actuator 11. The gear ratio of the spur gear 9 and the toothedgear 10 is 3zl, so that, by energizing the rotary actuator 11 to rotatethe toothed gear 10 as much as 270, the both disks 1 and 2 are rotatedsimultaneously as much as The rotary cylinder 8 hermetically enclosesthe stational shaft 4 and is rotatable thereabout by a bearing 8a.

On the upper disk 1 and the lower disk 2 are concentrically disposedfour pairs of upper and lower presses 12a 12d and 13a 13d, each pairbeing opposite to each other. Each upper press 12 has an upper presshead 14 projecting below the upper disk 1 and-each lower press 13 has alower press head 15 projecting above the lower disk 2, the upper andlower press heads 14 and 15 being arranged to face with each other.

Provided on each of the lower press 15 are a back stopper plate 16, aside stopper plate 17, and a side press plate 18 opposite to the sidestopper plate 17. The back stopper plate 16 and the side stopper plate17 define a back line and a side line of a predetermined settingposition of a battery container, referred hereinafter. The side pressplate 18 is connected to a piston rod of a cramping air cylinder 19, sothat the side press plate 18 is movable toward and away from the sidestopper plate 17.

As shown in FIG. 4, each upper press head 14 is provided on itsunderside with a recess 20, which acts against the upper sides of abattery cover (referred I hereinafter), when the upper press head 14 ismoved FIG. 2 is a partially sectioned side view of the apparatus shownin FIG. 1; v

FIG. 3 is a plan view, partially cut away, of the apparatus shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partially sectioned side view showing a suction means in anupper press head;

down, to regulate the position of the battery cover. The upper presshead 14 is also provided on its underside within the recess 20 with aplurality of vacuum suction members 21 made of rubber or the like,through each of which a vacuum passage 22 extends into the press head 14and opens to the side surface of the press head 14. The open end of thevacuum passage 22 is communicated through a flexible tube and a controlvalve (not shown) to a vacuum chamber 23 in the rotary cylinder 8secured to the center of the upper disk 1 and rotatable to thestationary shaft 4-. The vacuum chamber 23 is communicated to a vacuumsource (not shown) through a pipe 24 extending through the stationaryshaft 4. The upper press head 14 is so constructed that, when the upperpress head 14 is moved down and contacts to the battery cover, it canregulate the position of the cover and suck it up by vacuum.

In an alternative structure (not shown), in place of the vacuum suctionmeans, the upper press head 14 may be provided with a grip which cancatch liquid injection openings in the battery cover.

Between the upper press head 14b and the lower press head 15b isdisposed a thermoplate secured to the stationary shaft 4 in parallel tothe upper and lower disks 1 and 2. The thermoplate 25 is heated byconductive wires and controlled to a predetermined temperature by athermostatt, both of them being provided in an insulated tube 26extending through the stationary shaft 4 and connected to thethermoplate 25.

In an alternative embodiment, in place of the thermoplate 25, a spongyadhesive or solvent retainer plate may be employed. In such anembodiment, a pipe for supplying adhesive or solvent may be provided inplace of the tube 26 for the conductive wires and thermostatt.

Also, provided through the stationary shaft 4 is a pipe 27 for supplyingcompressed air into each of the air cylinders of the upper and lowerpresses 12a 12d and 13a 13d. The pipe 27 opens to a compressed airchamber 28 in the rotary cylinder 8, from which the compressed air issupplied to the air cylinder through flexible tubes and control valves(not shown).

Adjacent to the periphery ofthe lower disk 2 are provided a feedconveyer means 29, a delivery conveyer means 30, and a stopper means 31,all of them being supported on a frame 32a, 32b, 32c to be substantiallyon the same level as the lower disk 2. The delivery conveyer means 30and the stopper means 31 are angularly spaced from the feed conveyermeans 29 as much as 90 about the stationary shaft 4.

The feed conveyer means 29 comprises conveyer rollers 33 disposed in thetangential direction of the lower disk 2, a stopper plate 34 provided atthe end of the conveyer rollers 33, and an air cylinder 35 having apushing rod 36 extendable onto the lower press head 15a beyond theconveyer rollers 33.

The delivery conveyer means 30 comprises delivery rollers 37 disposed inthe radial direction of the lower disk 2, an arm 38 having a pair ofpivoted hooks 39 at one end thereof, and an air cylinder 40 of whichpiston rod 41 is connected to the other end of the arm 38, which isprojected through an elongated opening 32d in the frame 32c.

The stopper means 31 comprises a stopper block 42 connected to a pistonrod 43 of an air cylinder 44 and guided by a pair of guide plates 45.The stopper block 42 is pressed against one of block receiving members46 projecting under the lower disk 2 at circumferential portionsadjacent to each air cylinder of the lower press 13.

Now, we refer tothe present process for bonding a battery cover 47 to abattery container 48, both of which are made of thermoplastic resin. Inthe present embodiment, an air' sequential control system is employed asshown in FIG. 5 to operate all of the presses by compressed air suppliedthrough the stationary shaft 4.

In the first step for feeding the battery cover 47 and container 48 ontothe lower disk 2, the battery container 48 on which the battery cover 47is detachably placed is transferred by rollers 33 of the feed conveyermeans 29, while the pushing rod 36 of the air cylinder 35 is at theretracted position, and collides 'with the stopper plate 34. The stopperplate 34 is provided with a limit air valve LV-l which is actuated tooperate a brake (not shown) of the rollers 33 when the battery container48 collided therewith. Accordingly, the successive battery containersare stopped on the rollers 33 until the brake is released. Then, thecompressed air is fed into the air cylinder 35, so that the batterycontainer 48 is pushed against the back stopper plate 16a on the lowerpress head 15a by the pushing rod 36. After a predetermined time haspassed by an air timer T-l, the pushing rod 36 of the cylinder 35retracts, and the brake for the rollers 33 is released for thesuccessive battery container. Then, a limit switch LS-l operable by theretraction of the pushing rod 36 is made ON.

At the first section of the disks 1 and 2, when the battery container 48collides against the back stopper plate 16a (FIG. 6a) a limit air valveLV-2 provided thereon is actuated to feed the compressed air into thecramping air cylinder 19a, so that the battery container 48 is pressedagainst the side stopper plate 17a (FIG. 6b). The side stopper plate 17ahas a limit air valve LV-3 thereon, so that when the battery container48 is pressed against the plate 17a, the valve LV-3 is actuated to feedthe compressed air into the air cylinder of the upper press 12a, therebylowering the press head 14a thereof (FIG. The press head 14a has a limitair valve LV-4 in the recess 20 at the underside thereof and is arrangedto be actuated when the battery cover 47 contacts thereto. When thevalve LV-4 is actuated,

vacuum is applied to the battery cover 47 through the suction member 21in the recess 20. After a short time period has passed by an air timerT-2, the upper press head 14a of the press 12a is moved up, lifting thebattery cover 47 along with the upward movement of the press head 14a(FIG. 6d). Vertically extended from the corners of the press head 14athrough the upper disk 1 are a plurality of guide rods 49 to which alimit air valve LV-5 is provided to be actuated at the upper liftedposition of the upper press head 14a to stop the latter. A limit switchLS-2 is similarly provided to be made ON when the upper press head 14ais moved up.

In the second step at the second section of the disks, a compressed airis fed into the air cylinder of the upper press 12b when the limit airvalve LV-4 referred in the first step is actuated, so that the batterycover 47 descends along with the downward movement of the upper presshead'14b (FIG. 7a) and comes to contact with the thermoplate 25. Thepress head 14b has at its underside a limit air valve LV-6 projectingdownwardly from the outside of the recess 20. The valve LV-6 is actuatedwhen the underside of the battery cover 47 contacts to the thermoplate25 and, thereby, energizes an air timerT-3. After a predetermined timehas passed by the timer T-3, the compressed air is fed into the cylinderof the lower press 13b to move up the lower press head 15b so as tocontact the battery container 48 with the thermoplate 25 (FIG. 7b) andan air timer T4 is energized, during which the battery cover 47 andcontainer 48, both made of thermoplastic resin, are partially molten bythe thermoplate 25. After a predetermined time has passed by the timerT-4, both of the upper and lower press heads 14b and 15b are moved upand down, respectively, and separated from the thermoplate 25 (FIG. 7c),thereby actuating limit air valves LV-S and LV-7 provided on guide rods49 and 50 of the upper and lower press heads 14b and 1512 at the upperand lower positions thereof, respectively. The limit air valves LV-S andLV-7 make limit switches LS-3 and LS-4 ON.

In the third step at the third section of the disks, the compressed airis fed into the air cylinder of the upper press 12c after the timer T-4referred in the second step has been actuated, so that the upper presshead 140 is moved down. Thus, the battery cover 47 is pressed againstthe battery container 48 for a predetermined time period by a Timer T-5with the result that the molten parts of the battery cover and containerare integrally bonded together (FIG. 8). After the predetermined timehas passed by the time T-S, the vacuum suction having been applied tothe battery cover 47 is released.

In the fourth section of the disks, the upper press head 14d, is movedup (FIG. 9a) and the side press 19d releases clamping after apredetermined time has passed by a timer T-6 (FIG. 9b). By the upwardmovement of the press head 14d, the limit air valve LV-S as well as alimit switch LS-S is actuated. The limit switch LS-S energizes asolenoid air valve SV-2, so that the compressed air is fed into the aircylinder 40 of the de livery conveyer means 30. Then, the arm 38 movesinwardly toward the stationary shaft 4 and the pivoted hooks 39 catchesthe back surface of the battery container. At this position, the outerend of the arm projecting through the elongated opening 32d contacts andactuates a limit air valve LV-8 provided at the inner end of the opening32d, so that the compressed air is fed into the cylinder 40 to move thearm 38 outwardly, thereby unloading the battery container with thebattery cover onto the delivery rollers 37. At the retracted position ofthe arm 38, a limit switch LS-6 is made ON.

As will be easily understood from the flow chart in FIG. 5 anddescriptions, all of the above steps are performed simultaneously atfour different sections of the disk. As is shown in the flow chart inFIG. 5, when all of the limit switches LS-l, LS-2, LS-3, LS-4 and LS-6are made ON, the rotary actuator 11 is driven to rotate the disks asmuch as 90 in the clockwise direction shown by an arrow. By the rotationof the toothed gear 10, a limit switch LS-7 is made ON to operate thestopper 44 for the disks 1, 2 and to release the clutch in the actuator11. When the stopper block 42 is pressed against the block receivingmember 46, a limit air valve LV-9 provided in each receiving member 46is actuated to operate AND elements in the second, third and fourthbattery cover bonding steps. At the same time when the stopper block 42is pressed, a limit switch LS-8 provided on the supporting frame 32badjacent the block 42 is also actuated, which in turn actuates asolenois air valve SV-l in the first step.

Though not shown in the drawings, known proximity switches are providedon the stationary shaft 4 and the lower disk 2 such that, when the disksare intermittently rotated as much as 90, the presses 12a, and 13a, forexample, take over the movements of the presses 12b, 13b in thesucceeding step in accordance with the flow chart in FIG. 5. Thus, thebattery cover bonding operations are automatically repeated.

The foregoing embodiment of the present invention employs anintermittent rotating system using four pairs of upper and lowerpresses, and hence four units of batteries are treated simultaneously atthe respective steps. However, the present invention is not restrictedto such embodiment. It is possible to employ six pairs of upper andlower presses at angular intervals of and to turn the disksintermittently as much as 60, In such a case, the bonding of the batterycover to the battery container can be performed through the third tofifth movements, i.e. during the half rotation of the disks, to prolongthe pressure contact time, or, alternatively, it is possible to allocatetime for cooling or drying treatment.

Many other modifications and alterations may be made within the spiritof the present invention.

' What is claimed is:

1. In apparatus for bonding a cover member of a storage battery to abattery container, comprising:

an upper table and a lower table arranged to rotate simultaneously abouta center axis thereof;

a plurality of upper press means concentrically arranged on said uppertable with respective press heads projecting below said upper table,each of said press heads having means for lifting said battery cover;

a plurality of lower press means concentrically arranged on said lowertable with respective press heads projecting above said lower table toface with said press heads of said upper press means, each of said pressheads of said lower means having means for setting the battery containerto a predetermined position;

means for operating both of said upper and lower press means inaccordance with a predetermined time sequence; and

stationary plate means for contacting at least one of the bonding facesof said battery cover and container by which said face is renderedcapable of bonding, said plate means being disposed between one of thepaired upper and lower press heads.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a conveyermeans for feeding the battery cover and container onto said lower presshead, a delivery means for discharging said battery cover and containerfrom said lower press head, said conveyer means and delivery means beingdisposed adjacent to the periphery of said lower table with an angularinterval about the center axis thereof, and means for intermittentlyrotating said upper and lower table to locate circumferentially adjacenttwo lower press heads closely to said conveyer means and delivery meansin turn.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim I, wherein said press operatingmeans is an air sequential control system comprising a compressed airfeeding pipe extending through a stationary shaft along the center axisof said tables, a rotary cylinder hermetically enclosing said stationaryshaft and rotatable thereabout together with said tables, saidcompressed air feeding pipe being open in said rotary cylinder, and anumber of flexible pipes and air valves through which the compressed airis fed into each of said presses from said rotary cylinder undersequential control. 7

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said battery cover andcontainer are made of thermoplastic resin, and said bonding mediumfurnishing means is a thermoplate against which bonding faces of saidbattery cover and container are pressed.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bonding mediumfurnishing means is a spongy plate on which an adhesive or solvent issupplied through a stationary shaft at the axial center of the tablesand with which bonding faces of said battery cover and containercontact.

1. In apparatus for bonding a cover member of a storage battery to abattery container, comprising: an upper table and a lower table arrangedto rotate simultaneously about a center axis thereof; a plurality ofupper press means concentrically arranged on said upper table withrespective press heads projecting below said upper table, each of saidpress heads having means for lifting said battery cover; a plurality oflower press means concentrically arranged on said lower table withrespective press heads projecting above said lower table to face withsaid press heads of saId upper press means, each of said press heads ofsaid lower means having means for setting the battery container to apredetermined position; means for operating both of said upper and lowerpress means in accordance with a predetermined time sequence; andstationary plate means for contacting at least one of the bonding facesof said battery cover and container by which said face is renderedcapable of bonding, said plate means being disposed between one of thepaired upper and lower press heads.
 2. An apparatus as claimed in claim1, further comprising a conveyer means for feeding the battery cover andcontainer onto said lower press head, a delivery means for dischargingsaid battery cover and container from said lower press head, saidconveyer means and delivery means being disposed adjacent to theperiphery of said lower table with an angular interval about the centeraxis thereof, and means for intermittently rotating said upper and lowertable to locate circumferentially adjacent two lower press heads closelyto said conveyer means and delivery means in turn.
 3. An apparatus asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said press operating means is an airsequential control system comprising a compressed air feeding pipeextending through a stationary shaft along the center axis of saidtables, a rotary cylinder hermetically enclosing said stationary shaftand rotatable thereabout together with said tables, said compressed airfeeding pipe being open in said rotary cylinder, and a number offlexible pipes and air valves through which the compressed air is fedinto each of said presses from said rotary cylinder under sequentialcontrol.
 4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said batterycover and container are made of thermoplastic resin, and said bondingmedium furnishing means is a thermoplate against which bonding faces ofsaid battery cover and container are pressed.
 5. An apparatus as claimedin claim 1, wherein said bonding medium furnishing means is a spongyplate on which an adhesive or solvent is supplied through a stationaryshaft at the axial center of the tables and with which bonding faces ofsaid battery cover and container contact.